Journal box seal



Jan. 30, 1940. M, KEYS I 2,188,541

JOURNAL BOX SEAL Filed Nov. 15, 1957 INVENTOR,

HIS ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED? STATE param* N rece 4 Claims.

This invention relatesto improvements in railway journal box devices, and has as one of its important objects the provision of a dust sealing attachment for the cover structure of a railway journal box.

Another object is the provision of a simple dust sealing attachment which may be easily applied to various kinds of journal boxes without special tools or altering either the journal box or the sealing attachment.

Another object is the provision of a simple dust seal for use with rolling stock journal boxes of standard type and which include a spring mechanism on the inner side ofthe cover, the attachment having a simple arrangement'by means of which the seal may be quickly and easily attached to the spring mechanism on the inner side of the journal box cover.

Another object is the provision of a seal for railway journal boxes which is readily attachable to the cover spring structures commonly in use with standard types ofjournal boxes, the attachment being in the form of a substantially flat or plate-like structure having a strap which removably engages the journal box spring structure o the box lid or cover.

Still another object is the provision of a dust seal for railway journal boxes, the seal being in the form of a substantially fiat plate or backing member having a substantially central cut-away portion, a removable strap attached to the plate and arranged over the cut-away portion and a substantially fiat, tufted or matted sealing fabric secured to the plate or backing member.

Yet another object is the provision of a sealing plate attachment of the type last described in which the tufted or matted sealing fabric has an appreciable depth or thickness and the edge portions of the sealing fabric protrude beyond the margins of the backing plate such that the edges of the sealing mat or fabric engage the inner surface portions of the journal box immediately adjacent the cover thereof and provide a yieldable seal which is eifective to exclude dust and 'other extraneousv matter which might be injurious to the bearing and axle structure in the journal box.

Other objects and novel aspects of the invention reside in the particular form, arrangement, and operation of the parts hereinafter to be described and claimed in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through the cover portion of a journal vbox;

Fig, 2 is a front elevation of the journal box with a portion of the cover cut away;

Fig. 3 is another vertical fragmentary section through the cover portion of a different forinrof journal box;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the cover structure of Fig. 3 with a portion of the vcover cut away;

while Fig. 5 is a reduced top perspective of the sealing structure orattachment. Y

yFor purposes of illustrating the invention, kl.' have chosen two standard types of journal boxl to illustrate in the drawing in conjunction with the attachment of my invention, but it is to oe understood that these selections are not exclusive and that the attachment described and claimed4 herein either in the precise form set forth or any modifications thereof coming within the spirit of the invention, is not limited'to the particular uses set'forth.

Referring to Fig. 5, one embodiment of the invention includes a substantially flat backing member l@ which is preferably constructed of heavy sheet metal and in rectangular form generally conformable to' the outline of the cover of the standard car journal box. This backing member or plate l!) is further provided with a cut-away portion or opening H disposed centrally therein and preferably of elongated form to accommodate the usual cover spring structures, as will hereinafter appear. l f

In the form of device shown herein, the backing member or plate lll is preferably elongated and the elongated opening i l extends laterally'of the long axis of the plate. An attaching device in the form of an elongated strap l2 is removably attached to the backing plate by means of nuts and bolts I3 extended selectively through mounting holes E3' in the backing member, the head portion of the bolts'being seated against the under side of the backing plate as seen in Fig. 5, so that the nuts may be easily removed for purposes of installation. The strap I2 is preferably extended. along the median longitudinal axis of the backing plate (for example, Fig. 2).

The sealing means itself includes a rectangular mat or bodyof some fabric formed of closely intermingled fibers, such for example as a felt padding of appreciable depth, say for example one-half to three-.quarters of an inch.

Another and very satisfactory sealing material may be in the form of a closely matted, tufted fabric in which the tufts or pile has an appreciable depth, say a quarter of an inch or more. For example, I have found that avery satisface tory sealing mat or fabric is provided by a rectangle of broadloom carpet having as deep a pile as possible. The closer the weave of the tufted or pile body, the better.

The sealing mat or member is cut in the same form as the backing plate Ill, but slightly larger so as to provide a sealing mat M (Fig. having edge portions I5 which extend beyond the margins of the backing plate entirely around the latter, the sealing mat being attached to the plate by any suitable means such as the rivets I6, the tuft or pile of the mat in the case of a section of carpet, for example, facing away from the backing plate, the back of the carpet being exposed through the opening I I.

Where a felt or similar mat is used in place of the section of carpet or tufted material I 4, the edge portions are extended beyond the margins of the backing member in the same fashion for purposes which will hereinafter appear.

In the form of journal box shown in Fig. 1, the cover casting I'I is hingedly mounted on a pintle I6 seated in a boss I9 on the top of the journal box 20. On the inner lower side of the cover thereis a spring seat lug 2I upon which is seated the lower end of a spring 22, the upper portion of which embraces the shank portion 23 of a tongue 24 which slides in a slotted lug 25 on the upper inner side of the box cover. The tongue 24 has yieldable bearing engagement with the journal box casting for the purpose of holding the cover in place as seen in Fig. 1. This spring arrangement is not adequate to hold the cover in cornpletely sealed relation with the journal box and considerable amounts of dust and grit work into the box and injure the axle and journal structures and co-mingle with the oil and packing and destroy the lubricating qualities of the latter.

In applying the sealing attachment of the present invention to the type of journal box shown in Fig. 1, and regardless of the nature of the sealing mat or fabric, the nut and bolt means I3 is loosened and the strap I2 fitted behind the spring 22 as seen in both Figs. 1 and 2, the nut and bolt means I3 thereafter being tightened up suitably to secure the backing plate to the spring member 22 and in position to register with the opening of the journal box so as to t into the latter when the cover is lowered.

It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the spring member 22 fits substantially in the opening II in the backing plate and since the sealing mat I4 is of a yieldable nature, the spring structure 22 may flex freely during the opening and closing movements of the cover without in any way interfering with the normal efficient operation of the spring assembly.

Attention is called particularly in both Figs. 1 and 2 to the sealing disposition of the edge portions I5 of the sealing mat as they bear against the inner surface portions of the journal box adjoining the opening thereof. 'This arrangement of the protruding or extending edge portions I5 of the sealing mat results in a peculiarly successful seal, the effectiveness of which is not in any way reduced by the presence of oil on the sealing surfaces, and the yielding nature of which permits movement of the box cover, due to vibration and the like when the car is in motion, 'without breaking the seal so that there is none of the leakage of dust and the like past the cover as experienced with present standard journal box cover structures. v

In Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown another standard type of journal box 26 having a cover 2'! hingedly mounted on a pintle rod 28 mounted in lugs or bosses 29 on the journal box. Spring means for maintaining the lid or cover 2'I in closed position is provided in the form of a leaf spring 30 having its lower portion riveted to the cover as at 3| and having an offset upper end portion 32 yieldably bearing against a portion 33 of the journal box boss and urging the lid into closed position. The spring cover plate or hood 34 is riveted as at 35 onto the cover or lid and has an arcuated upper end portion 36 closely overlying the pintle lug 29 on the journal box and further provided with opposite bosses 31 through which the pintle rod 28 extends. Thus the spring cover means 34 not only protects the upper portion of the spring assembly, but provides a means for pivotally attaching the cover to the journal box as well, the arcuated end portion of the spring cover at all times tting close to the lug means 29 on the journal box to protect the spring assembly.

In applying the sealing attachment of the present invention to this style of journal box cover, the nut and bolt means I3 are loosened as before, so that the strap I2 may be slipped behind the upper offset portion 32 of the cover spring in much the same manner as described in Fig. l, the nut and bolt means thereafter being tightened to secure the seal in place, the edge portions I5 of the sealing mat tting closely against the inner surface portions of the journal box adjacent the lid as in the case of the device? of Fig. 1. The attaching strap I2 may be variously positioned with respect to the selective mounting holes I 3 and this, together with thelarge cut-out portion II in the backing member, makes it possible to apply the sealing attachment to the lid structures of commonly used or standard journal boxes used on railway cars and rolling stock.

It will be apparent that changes may be made in the specific form of the attachment described in detail herein for purposes of illustration, and it is to be understood that all changes and modifications or rearrangements of the specified structure are included within the call of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A sealing attachment for application to the inside cover portions of a railway journal box, said attachment including a iiat backing member, formed to t into the journal box adjacent the cover opening thereof, a sealing mat of a yieldable material attached to said backing member and having edge portions extended beyond the marginal edge portions of the backing member in a direction parallel to the plane of the latter so as to scrape against inner surface portions of said journal box adjacent the cover opening thereof, said backing member having means thereon for attaching engagement with said cover.

2. In combination with a journal box having a substantially rectangular and planar cover hingedly mounted thereon and springv means on the inner side thereof cooperable with the cover, sealing means in the form of a substantially rectangular backing plate having a substantially rectangular sealing mat of cloth-like fabric or material secured thereto with edge portions extending beyond the marginal edges of the backing plate, said mat being of a thickness to provide an edgewise surface of substantial width, said backing plate being attached to said spring means by a strap-like member clamped behind the latter, said backing plate having a cut-away portion into which said spring means may move during manipulation of the cover, said edgewise portions of the sealing mat being arranged and constructed to fit firmly against inner surface portions of the journal box when the cover` is closed, the substantial Width of such edgewise portion providing a seal When in engagement with said inner surface portions.

3. A sealing attachment for use with journal boxes and the like having a lid with closing spring means mounted thereon in spaced relation to the inner surface thereof, said attachment comprising a backing plate having sealing means thereon, and a strap mounted on said backing plate for adjustment in spaced relation thereto, said strap being adapted for attaching engagement around said spring means on the inner side of the lid to secure said plate substantially in parallelism with the latter to dispose said sealing means in operative position relative to the lid and box, said backing plate having an opening opposite said strap to accommodate said spring means so that the operation of the latter Will not be interfered With by said plate in attachment thereto, said sealing means being arranged to close said opening on the side of said plate opposite said spring means and cover.

4. 'Ihe combination, With an open receptacle having a cover, of sealing means comprising a rigid backing member attached to the inner side of said cover and having a sealing mat secured thereto with marginal edge portions extending beyond the edges of the backing member in substantial parallelism With the latter so that said extending portions of the mat will be yieldable relative to the backing member and the marginal extremities of said extending edge portions will be disposed to scrape closely against the inner surface portions of said receptacle adjoining the opening thereof during opening and closing move-l ment of the cover.

MORRIS KEYS. 

